Colorado · Hiking

Bear Park

1.2 mi
round trip
325 ft
climb
9,025 ft
high point
Out and back
route
May–Sep
best months

Is Bear Park open right now?

Alert in the area

The Forest Service lists 6 alerts for White River National Forest.

As of · Source: USFS · White River National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Bear Park is an easy, out-and-back hike in the Eagle Ranger District of Colorado's White River National Forest, managed by the Forest Service. The trail is about 1.2 miles long, with a one-way elevation gain of 325 feet, taking you from a low point of about 8,700 feet to a high of about 9,025 feet. The route is natural-surface and allows horses, so it works well for riders as well as hikers. Bikes are not permitted. The trail is open year-round, and the nearest town is Yampa, about 18 miles away. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Yampa show July highs around 79°F with lows near 46°F, and the station sits roughly 1,200 feet below the trail, so temperatures on the hike run cooler. Middle Derby is about 0.3 miles away, and Derby Ridge and Indian Cliffs are both within about a mile. For fishing, Hooper Lake is about 2 miles off.

Local outfitters

Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.

  • Best time to go · May–Sep

    Best time to visit Bear Park

    Best months: May–September. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

    1. Jan

      32° / 7°

      12 wet

    2. Feb

      34° / 9°

      11 wet

    3. Mar

      43° / 17°

      10 wet

    4. Apr

      52° / 24°

      11 wet

    5. May

      62° / 33°

      10 wet

    6. Jun

      74° / 40°

      8 wet

    7. Jul

      79° / 46°

      10 wet

    8. Aug

      77° / 45°

      11 wet

    9. Sep

      70° / 37°

      9 wet

    10. Oct

      57° / 27°

      8 wet

    11. Nov

      42° / 17°

      9 wet

    12. Dec

      32° / 8°

      11 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Yampa, CO, 17.8 mi away at 7,857 ft. The station sits about 1,200 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

North DerbyPhoto: Jim Morefield, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

North Derby

~13 min drive

4.35-mile out-and-back trail in Colorado with 757 ft gain and 11,197 ft max elevation.

Mandall LakesPhoto: Jim Morefield, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Mandall Lakes

~15 min drive

10.55-mile out-and-back trail to Mandall Lakes in Colorado with 1,565 ft gain.

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W. Mountain

~6 min drive

6.34-mile out-and-back trail in Colorado's White River National Forest with 2,233 ft gain.

Smith LakePhoto: Jim Morefield, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Smith Lake

~14 min drive

1.44-mile out-and-back hike to Smith Lake in Colorado's Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest.

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Middle Derby

Next door

10.32-mile out-and-back trail in Colorado's White River National Forest with 1,159 ft gain.

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Ute - Sunnyside

~10 min drive

7.38-mile out-and-back trail in Colorado with 900 ft of elevation gain.

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Hooper Lake Trail

~4 min drive

1.3-mile out-and-back trail in Colorado with 241 ft elevation gain.

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Roberts

~3 min drive

6.62-mile out-and-back trail in Colorado with 1,182 ft elevation gain.

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South W

~11 min drive

5.63-mile out-and-back trail in Colorado's White River National Forest with 541 ft gain.

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Bailey Lakes

~7 min drive

3.04-mile out-and-back trail in Colorado's White River National Forest with 469 ft elevation gain.